


Rival Versus of Zenitha

by KairosK28



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Battle, Blood and Violence, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Death, Dog Fighting, Drama, Drama & Romance, Explicit Language, Family Drama, Fantasy, Freedom, Magic, Magical Realism, Minor Character Death, Other, Slow Burn, Swearing, Talking Animals, Threats, Threats of Violence, Wild Hunt, Wolf Pack, Wolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:54:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28359642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KairosK28/pseuds/KairosK28
Summary: An outcast from within the Trackers, Apollo, a two-faced wolf compelling himself against the wilderness of Zenitha on a what he thought to be a solo escape from his former region, away from his father's death threatening actions and attempts. Leaving behind a close companion, visiting realms of mythical desires, and coping with a dramatic past.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Outcast amongst Trackers

**Author's Note:**

> A few years back, I started to write The Alpha's Rock. Same characters as of this one, wolves, etc. I got quite far into writing it until I abandoned it, as the structure was poorly written and past me didn't know the concept of grammar. So here I am, deciding to rewrite and rename it. I MAY post the original, though it is very boring, messy and simple. Hope you enjoy this one, so far! :)
> 
> Also, I'm still going to be writing She Ra: Hereafter Consternation, I'm a multi author!

Hampi scratched at the dulling stone, his pads crisp from the dawn snowfall. He pricked his ears, raising his head, as a white wolf brushed under the lichen and into his den.

“Shelly?”

“Salutations, Alpha.” She bowed her muzzle towards the earthy floor.

“What is it?”

The she-wolf tensed her facial muscles, eyes blazing in the dim lighting, “Apollo’s gone out again” A low growl rumbled in the alpha’s throat as he brushed past his lead huntress and peered out from the lichen of his cavern, scanning the clearing before swinging back in. '“He’s getting all of it, this time.” The white boar rasped, spinning around and shoving his maw into Shelly’s face.

She blinked, crouching under her commander’s gaze. “Fetch Jaloe and tell him that he must collect him.” Hampi’s eyes darkened as he lashed his heavy tail and swerved off, disappearing into the edges of his den.

Shelly nodded, slipping out of the cover and drinking in the chilling ear, her luscious whiskers lapping in the breeze.

Giving herself a shake, the white she-wolf made her way to the mouth of their camp, peering past a thicket of brambles to see the silky black pelt of the male scout, Jayloe, sitting guard and staring at the growing dusk.

He glared at her, cocking his head.

“Hampi’s ordered you to scout for Apollo.” she twitched her ears awkwardly. “I’m worried for him, _this_ time.” The black boar huffed, his golden hues glittering wistfully as he heaved himself to his paws. “He should’ve listened.” He whisked off, pelting through the snowy oak.

The pearly she-wolf pinned her ears, before strutting back into camp, collecting wolves on her way in to join her hunt.

Jaloe scampered down a dune of snow, pausing under a sheltering pod of fronds as he caught a flash of dusky grey fur pawing at a flaying fish on the snow. The dark scout leapt from the shelter; his lips grizzled.

The grey wolf puffed up his cheeks as he looked up the frosty slope, a plump fish writhing in the lock of his jaws.

“Apollo, this was your last warning, what are you thinking?” he slid down to his friend, bowling him over against the shoulder with a thud of his heavy black paw. “Why didn’t you listen...?” Jaloe added quietly, nosing his packmate to his paws.

Apollo scrunched up his muzzle ridge as the fish’s tail slapped him clean on the nose.

“Enough of that,” Jaloe growled, smacking the fish from Apollo’s grip and into the streambed. Apollo winced, brushing past the black scout and leaping up the slope. He stared over his shoulder, “I just prefer hunting alone, that’s it.” The grey omega shrugged, walking ahead. “Not so fast!” Jaloe warned, hopping up aside the younger male. “Hampi won’t just have your tail to shreds this time.”

Apollo paused, staring at him with a tilted glance. “You said that last time. I’ll be fine.” he wagged his mangled tail, scraps of fur clinging to the skin.

“ _I’m not joking!_ ” the dark boar gasped, tumbling the omega flat on his stomach. “What’s gotten into you?” Apollo huffed, popping out from his friend’s grasp and skipping to his paws. “I really don’t care- don’t _anguish._ ” He groaned.

Jaloe’s face grew flushed as he darted face to face with Apollo, his teeth bared. “I’m not anguishing over you- “Apollo skirted aside, pacing ahead, “sure.” He said without looking back. Jaloe muttered under his breath as he followed at the young boar’s heels, his tail sulking across the snow.

The two boars arrived at camp, Apollo barging right in, knocking over a pairing of wolves talking together. “Hey, watch it, omega!” the dusky brown one snapped, his body rigid as he helped up his mate. “Good riddance,” Jaloe pricked an ear as he walked by, eavesdropping, “why does the Alpha’s son always think he has standards?” his mate muttered something under her breath.

  
Jaloe scoffed inwardly, getting an urge to defriend his friend but instantly shoving it away, quickening his pace to catch up with Apollo. “Watch where you’re going next time, idiot.” Is all he said. Before Apollo could utter a reply, they were overshadowed by the presence of Hampi, his jaw’s shaking with anger.

Jaloe narrowed his eyes, perching his position and staring straightforward at his Alpha, while Apollo sat clumsily, flicking away bits of bark from his ear with his hindleg.

Hampi glowered, reaching forward and grappling his son’s scruff, swinging him into the bare clearing, causing Jaloe to swiftly rear back, legs stiff.

The pack began to gather in ring, their eyes wide and tails aloof.

“This was your last warning, Apollo.” Hampi growled, shoving his muzzle into the young boar’s face. Apollo huffed, lowering his face to his paws, a shadow coating his upper face. “Your fucking mother would still be alive if it weren’t for you! She died saving you. And now this is how you repay her? To act like a disgrace to this pack. A goof. An idiot.” Hampi reared up, slamming his forepaws heavily in front of his son’s face. “A _mistake._ ” He whispered menacingly.

Apollo’s eyes shot open, his claws unsheathing as he slowly raised his head to meet his father’s gaze. “Am I supposed to apologize to you because I wasn’t the son you wanted? Am I meant to bow to your standards?” Silence lapped through the clearing for a couple of heartbeats at the two boards glazed their steeling stares on one another until Apollo drew in a sharp breath.  
“Well, I’m _sorry_ packs suck. Their regulations of law. Their construction. I am sorry your way of life doesn’t keep my blood pumping. Being free, out of _rules_ is the only thing that keeps me alive in this dump.” Apollo sat up, his muscles rigid as he faced his alpha, his whisker’s whisking the white boar’s scarred muzzle.

“You bitch.” Hampi’s ears flattened as he rose to his hindlegs, crashing down on Apollo with a thundering clash to the face, his claws scorching deeply across the omega’s muzzle. Apollo’s ears rang as his neck swung, his torso swerving off balance and meeting the surface of cold earth against his face.

Hampi stood over him, “weak too.” He stared up to his pack, blood trickling from his dusted white paw, “this is what outcasts to the pack face with. Death.” Half conscious, Apollo felt daggering fangs sink into his tail as he was swept down the clearing, feeling his father’s strutting paw steps as he ran after him. Hampi rose a paw and pressed it against Apollo’s skull, smothering his cheek into the ground. The snowy alpha curled his claws around the grey omega’s head, sending a migraine rippling through Apollo’s brain. “Quick and peaceful, right?” Hampi muttered scornfully into Apollo’s ear.  
  
Apollo grew tense, rolling himself away from his father’s claws, his scalp getting raked on the escape, hearing a slight gasp escape his father’s mouth. Without hesitation, Apollo quickly loosened up, whisking around and charging right for his father’s gaping, hate filled face, jaw’s sinking into the flesh of Hampi’s profile. Howls of astonishment erupted from the crowd, their growls glowering all around the clearing. Hampi staggered, swinging back and forth, trying to knock Apollo off.

Apollo tightened his grasp, feeling hot streams of blood flow across his gums. He felt a slight pop and quench against his lip as his tooth slipped beneath Hampi’s left lid. Soon, Hampi collapsed like a deadweight. Struggling to breath, Apollo clung onto Hampi’s shoulders and kicked back, hearing a pleasurable rip as he was released from his father’s face, tumbling back flat onto the ground.

Apollo lay there on his flank, his stomach convulsing. A hot pain stung his head, he could feel blood drying across his face. The sound of clashing leaves slowly put him into a trance, the world slowly fading out into a black canvas around him, his vision finally engulfed in darkness. _Forgive me, Vonnie._


	2. Chapter 2

The light touch of damp moss across his nose carcass woke Apollo, his eyes fluttering sleepily as he adjusted to the evening sunset which shone through a hole in the den. He raised his head weakly too meet the peaceful eyes of Malika, a gentle grey she wolf with yellow eyes and white legs with a ring of woven moss at the base of her sleek tail.  
“Hello, Apollo. Feeling better?” she murmured through as she stroked the cold bundle of moss across his marked muzzle.

He groaned in response, joints trembling. Malika gave a sigh, pressing her nose against Apollo’s spine and pressing into the skin, trailing the movements towards the base of his tail and repeating.

Apollo closed his eyes, “I’m leaving the pack, aren’t I?” he clenched his jaws as she hit a bruised spot. She began kneading the bruised surface with a pebble. He breathed, tucking his tail along his side, “I don’t care anyway. I’ll be happy to leave.”

He felt Malika stop, her body tensing. She walked over to him, sitting down. “I’ll come with you.” She snuggled her face against his, “we grew up together, so we stay together.”

Doubtful, Apollo looked away, lip trembling. “This is my exile, you should stay here, caring for the pack. You’re great at all of that stuff.”

“No, this pack is horrific…” she mumbled, sweeping her slack tail under Apollo’s chin and leaning forward to look at him, “I will come with you. I’ll sneak away and catch up after you’re banished.” Apollo stared at the she wolf, heart strung. He couldn’t refuse her, not a second time. “Okay,” he nodded, “we’ll leave together.”  
Malika chirped, tail wagging, “great!” she nudged him to his paws, “I’ve tended most of your wounds as much as I could.”  
  
Apollo lowered his head affectionately, “I appreciate it. See you soon.” He exited the den to face a gust of cold air, and a perched Jayloe on a rock just outside. The black scout leapt down to give Apollo a lick on the neck then lead his friend forward through the trees toward the main clearing.  
“Nervous?” Jayloe breathed, a wisp of his warm breath visible in the cold air.

Apollo cocked his head to the side, treading lightly beside his friend on the leafy earth, “not really. I knew this day would come. It’s what I’ve dreamt of.” He paused, facing his gaze to his paws, “besides, Malika is coming with me. I won’t be alone.”  
“What?” Jaloe gasped, but before he could say more, a howl interrupted them and beige wolf stormed the corner, his chest and belly ruffled with thick black fur. He approached the two, “Apollo, ready to leave?” Apollo nodded, letting the two wolves flank him forward.

Apollo squinted, trying to take a look through the glare at all of the faces of the wolves he grew up with. He recognized the slick pelt of Ryzula in the shadows. She was the she wolf who had nursed him after his mother was killed by a skulk. A horrid image of drooling, flesh hungry jaws filled his mind and he instantly tore away his gaze, looking forward to the approaching shadow. _Hampi._

Apollo felt the sides of his torso meet the breeze as Jaloe and Ikurk withdrew from him, standing ground a few steps away.  
“Ready to face the wilds alone like you always _dreamed_ , boy?” his father’s rattly voice sounded above him. Apollo drew in a breath, raising his head to meet his father's face. As soon as he raised his eyes, Apollo suppressed a gasp. The bottom of Hampi’s left eye lid was ripped down to his jawbone. _Even more scars, gross.  
  
_ _"_ Ready as ever, scum.” Apollo replied wryly, rounding towards the exit, a dully stretch of land over vast tundra and mountains. He would head away from the hunting grounds and off where no wolf the Trackers had set paw before. He will escape over the stretch and into the Spiritual Acres, one of the most enchanted regions of Zenitha. He got told many stories of it and now he was ready to face its reality.  
  
Hampi reared up, giving Apollo a knock forward with his muzzle. “I’ll have more pups that won’t be failures like you!” he glowered into Apollo’s ear, giving him one final shove before walking back into camp.

Howls of approval rumbled as Apollo made his way forward. “Begone, Failure!” “You’re an insult to our code!” “Go die in the wilds!”

He felt Ryzula’s cold stare burning into him. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder to meet her gaze, she instantly withdrew deeper into the shadows, breaking the tension.  
Apollo felt familiar paw steps pulling towards him. He met Jaloe’s face with dim eyes. “Things won’t be the same without you,” his friend murmured. Apollo’s lip trembled with humor as he gave Jaloe a ruffle on the flank, “cheer up. You won’t have to scout me down every day and watch me get earth slapped!”

Jaloe’s features grew somber, “exactly. I will miss waking up and watching you be the goof you are. The brutal part on the other paw---” Jaloe was cut off by Shelly, who stand waiting by the entrance. “Sorry to bust your _farewell_ , Jaloe, but unfortunately you’re breaking the rules. Apollo’s and _outsider_ now.” Jaloe stammered at Apollo with wide eyes before ducking his head and retreating towards Shelly. The two wolves disappeared into the trees.

_This is it. I’m an outsider now._ Walking off, he suddenly became alerted as leaves rustled ahead of him. Only until he caught the wrath of familiar scent, he ran up to the thicket. “Malika!” She hopped out, twigs bundled in her pelt, “Apollo! This is so exciting! Are you ready?” He shushed her with his tail, guiding her down the hill away from camp, “shh, someone could take notice of you chittering like that.”   
“Oh, right, sorry.” She snickered, yellow eyes glowing with anticipation.  
  
They reached past the main borders of the camp. "So," Ryzula began, “this is our future. Where do you think it’ll lead to?” Apollo nudged her over a running stream full of spitting orbs of blue flame, hopping cautiously after her. “Time will tell.” His heart warmed. _Future, with Malika._

The two of them walked side by side in the scenery. The trees were towering with thin, navy blue leaves, bark a rich brown. Sprigs and natural debris lay everywhere upon the earthy ground. They ran over a few expired burrows, rubbles of rocks, rivers and mountainsides. The sky was going a fresh red, the suns, one big one small, scorching near the base of the horizon. A maned eagle screeched above them, soaring down and disappearing down the couloir of the mountain’s edge, It’s wings heavy beats echoing below at the base of the mountain. Apollo’s eyes widened, “sounds like a cavern!” he breathed. Removing himself from Malika’s side, he charged forward to the edge, his pelt blowing. Ahead of them were dunes of sand, and in the faraway distance, he could see the dimming silhouette of the Spiritual Acres.

Malika caught up with him, started, “where?” she gasped, “we’re on the top of mountain, where could there be a cave?”

Apollo’s maw animated, eyes shimmering as he spun to face Malika, “follow me.” Quickly yet carefully, he seeped down the mountain’s rocky, earthy edge. He jumped a boulder, finally arriving at the base with Malika joining him a few seconds later. They were both met with astonished profiles to see the large sector of rock cleared out at the base of the mountain, as if someone had spooned out the flesh. Vines draped down from the top, and the undercover clearing was littered with thorn bushes and a small creek.

Nestled on vinery was the maned eagle, tending to be chittering hatchlings. Malika faced him with pride, “you’re great!” She dashed off into the cave, looking around. Apollo followed more slowly, listening to Malika’s bickering noises of approval. He walked off towards the far end of the cave, staring around at the environment before spotting a small split in the stone on the wall. Apollo crouched, sniffing the opening. His glands itched, alarmed. _Warm blood._ He retreated slowly, eyeing the hole before heading back towards Malika, who had settled down on a piece of grass and sat watching the suns disappearing below the desert’s curves.

He lay down beside her, narrowing his eyes in the golden sunlight. She cooed, cozying up against his pelt. “Pretty, is it not?” she murmured. Apollo tore his gaze away from the brimming light, facing her with a soft expression, “yeah, pretty.” Malika fluttered her eyes, resting her head against his body and wrapping her tail up and alongside her body.

Apollo’s eyes glazed with a thin surface of tears, blinking them away. He was _so_ happy.

Jaloe crouched under the moonlight, quenching thirst from a small pond. Noise of pads prodding towards him alerted him, and in an instant his shifted his head up, staring through the leaves of a nearby bramble. A silhouette of a wolf was moving closer. Jaloe narrowed his eyes, leaning forward to pick out the arrival’s face, only then did he rear back as they walked into the moonlight and right past him, Jaloe unnoticed. _Ikurk_. The beige male picked his way carefully to the entrance of camp, sitting down and staring over the slopes of tundra and trees. Jaloe stared, intrigued. “What in the spirits of Zenitha are you doing, Ikurk?” he whispered to himself, about to get up to interfere, until another shadow approached Ikurk, sitting down aside him. _Hampi?_

“Salutations, Alpha.” Ikurk muttered, staring through the treetops. “Did you really think it was wise to send out Apollo? You have given him the life he has always wanted. That is a gift, no banishment.”  
Hampi unsheathed his claws, “you think I don’t know that!?” Ikurk recoiled, turning his attention to Hampi. Silence seeped between the two for a moment until Hampi sheathed his claws, starting up, “we need a new home. One with repetitive food stock. In this biome, there’s more predators of wolves roaming then there is prey for us.” He curved his claws over a stone, “Hate admitting it, but Apollo knows how to find his way. When he was a pup, his mother always told him stories about the Spiritual Acres. Food everywhere, running water, great hideout and extraordinary environment and magic.” His eyes glittered with desire.  
Hampi rose his gaze to the reflective nightlights of the galactic, “Apollo will arrive there. So, we follow his track. And then, I will kill him. End his humiliating bloodline.” Ikurk stared, baffled, his jaw parted with shock. Hampi’s lip twitched, looking over his shoulder to the far side of the camp to a thorn bush, where tufts of grey fur were caught, “or _them,_ I shall say.”  
  


Jaloe’s eyes widened with terror, every limb on his body tensing. “ _Apollo."_

**Author's Note:**

> Dearly hoped you enjoyed this first part! Is it a bit dry? I'm not sure, I've just started my writing up again after closely three months of relaxation hiatus. Anyway, I love this story and look forward to releasing more parts!


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